Catalogue description ANCASTER PAPERS

These papers consist mainly of title deeds to property in Lincolnshire acquired by the Hon. Charles Bertie (d. 1727) 6th son of the 3rd Earl of Lindsey. Most of the property came to him through his marriage to Mary Newcomen, widow of Nicholas Newcomen and heiress of Thomas Browne. They both died childless and Bertie bequeathed his property to the younger sons of the then Duke of Ancaster. These sons became the 3rd and 5th Dukes. Following the death of the 5th and last Duke in 1809, the property was divided between his two heirs, Bertie Bertie Greatheed and Brownlow Bertie Mathew, hence the presence of these Lincolnshire papers in a Warwick solicitor's office (see below, 941/5 and also CR.1707/13).

Except where specified, the property is in Lincolnshire. It consists of freehold and copyhold land in Ingoldmells, Addlethorpe, Burgh in the Marsh, Winthorpe, Thedlethorpe and elsewhere. The deeds were found in great confusion: different documents from the same transaction were in widely separated bundles. Time did not allow the detailed calendaring needed to reconstruct the descent of title to each property but a rough attempt at this has been made. The deeds have been arranged by manor: Ingoldmells with Addlethorpe (752-881), Candlesby (882-883), Olby (884-886), and Willoughby (887-893). Documents whose manor has not been discovered have been put into the Ingoldmells series. In addition to these four manorial series, there are four series concerning property in Winthorpe (894-907), Theddlethorpe (908-925), Bilsby (926-928), and Mablethorpe (929-930). These represent original bundles concerning property in these places, amalgamated and with related documents added. Within the series, the bundles are arranged chronologically by the date of the first document in the bundles; each bundle contains deeds relating to a particular property. In addition to these title deeds, there are a few miscellaneous Bertie and Greatheed papers (932-941) including an interesting series of accounts for the development of Leamington (939/4).